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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing boxelder bugs. Boxelder bugs are also known as maple bugs. If you live in North America, you may have seen these insects towards the beginning of spring or end of fall when they congregate on warm home exteriors. While they do gather here, this isn't their preferred place to be. Instead, boxelder bugs live in boxelder trees, specifically female boxelder trees where they have a source of tasty food throughout most of the year. Boxelders are a type of maple tree, and boxelder bugs will live on different types of maples if boxelders aren't present, hence their other common name!

These invertebrates live from Canada to Mexico and have denser populations towards the east coast. Throughout the spring, summer, and autumn, these insects spend most of their time in the tree canopy where they're rarely seen. During the winter, however, adults may gather on home exteriors to seek out heat and shelter. They sometimes get inside human homes where they're considered a pest, but it's worth noting boxelder bugs aren't dangerous to humans. They do let out a stench when squashed, and their bodily fluids can stain upholstery, but they don't bite and are otherwise considered harmless.

Only adult boxelder bugs survive the winter. If any nymphs were born too late to develop into adults before the first frost, they'll perish. When they aren't hiding in our homes, boxelder bugs seek out winter shelters in rock piles, fallen leaves, under logs, and other protected places. They emerge in spring to eat. These insects suck the sap and nutrients from a boxelder's leaves, seeds, and new growth, however, even if a bunch of bugs are present, they aren't considered a threat to the tree's health. They don't take enough to cause harm. They'll also take from other maple trees and sometimes even the fruits of raspberry and strawberry plants! About two weeks after they've come out and had their fill of food, they mate. 

Boxelders bugs mate with their rear ends facing each other. Males are slightly smaller than females – although at max the adults only reach about half an inch (15 cm) in length –  so it's not uncommon to see a female flying around with her mate attached to her! She'll lay her eggs on plants her offspring will consume upon hatching about a week or two later. The nymphs go through five molts before reaching adulthood, and this process takes about two months. It's not uncommon for there to be multiple generations of boxelder bugs in a single year, especially in warmer parts of their range. Generally speaking, however, these invertebrates don't live past a year of age.

Boxelder bugs are pretty easy to spot if you know what you're looking for. They're black with red edges to their wings and a bright red abdomen, although this is typically covered by their wings. Their nymphs are also bright red and slowly take on the darker hue as their wings start to grow in with each molt. Some scientists believe their bright colors are a warning of their acrid taste, but that doesn't stop some animals from eating boxelder bugs. Spiders and other invertebrates as well as some birds and rodents dine on these insects, their foul smell not being enough to keep these predators away.

For more facts on boxelder bugs, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!